


Those Little Moments

by Phantom_of_the_library



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: I'm actually kind of proud with how this one turned out, M/M, a lot of hurt to be honest, and a lot of comforting, anyway enjoy reading it, derek making stiles feel better, derek returns to beacon hills, set some time after season 5, sterek, surprise surprise he sees Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 09:32:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11734287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom_of_the_library/pseuds/Phantom_of_the_library
Summary: It's the little moments that count. Every single one of those little moments that people tend to brush over and forget about. That small glance, that soft and gentle touch. Or the first look you share with the one you love when they come back from a long trip. Or the care in your voice when they're hurt. It's those things that join together in the end, like a puzzle. All of those little pieces joining together perfectly and forming one clear image. For Derek, it's the realisation that maybe, just maybe, he needed Stiles Stilinski more than he knew. And maybe, just maybe, he loved him too.





	Those Little Moments

Derek didn't know what he had expected when he ran into Stiles that day in the small, corner store. 

Maybe an over dramatic display of how long it had been since he'd last seen the werewolf, or maybe a small smile and a 'welcome back'. Instead, Derek was greeted by a pair of honey coloured eyes that had widened to the size of saucers. Stiles' mouth was slightly agape as he looked at Derek. 

A sort of sadness struck the boy's face, something which gave Derek no pleasure when he saw it. 

He had tried to speak, he had tried to say hello (or anything really) to Stiles but his tongue had betrayed him and had twisted into a tight knot. Too tight to untie, Derek could do nothing but stare back. 

He hadn't really expected to be overwhelmed with so many emotions. Sadness. Guilt. Most of all, regret. Regret for leaving Stiles behind in Beacon Hills while he traveled all over the country. Then, as soon as Stiles spun around and left with tears making his eyes glisten, the regret swiftly changed to anger. His heart tightened. Derek wanted to reach out but his hands felt like they were chained to his sides. Each step Stiles took, the harder it was to move, to call out. His voice remained silent and a cold wave crashed over him. 

______

The next time Derek saw Stiles, was when he appeared at Derek's loft; all bloodied, bruised and clothes ripped. 

He had been attacked by a mysterious creature and left at the side of the road. Derek was the closest person he could reach. "How did this even happen?" Derek asked with worry as he gently dabbed Stiles' face. 

"Hell do I know. I was just walking before bam! Attacked." Stiles flinched when Derek wiped the gash above his eye. 

"Sorry," He apologised, looking at the boy with a soft expression. Stiles didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of this. "I'm sorry that this happened Stiles." 

"It's not your fault, you didn't know it was gonna happen." Stiles shrugged as he started putting his jacket back on. 

Derek didn't know what possessed him to do it but the next thing he knew, he had a hand on Stiles' cheek. He made small circles against Stiles' cold skin and he must have done something right because with tired eyes, Stiles leaned into Derek's touch. It was such a tender moment between the two. Derek had forgotten what those felt like. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be loved...to know that somebody cared about him...to feel safe. With Stiles, it all came flooding back. 

"Don't go. Please." It was barely a whisper, Derek couldn't remember when he had ever sounded so quiet. 

Stiles looked up at him, taking Derek's hand off his face and into his own hand, interlocking their fingers. 

"I won't."

______ 

"I killed somebody." 

They were sitting on the Stilinski porch when Stiles had broken the silence; breathing irregular and hands shaking. 

"I didn't mean to. I swear, I never wanted to. It's just, Donovan, he was chasing me and I was climbing the ladder and he was right behind me. He was close Derek. He was so close and I was terrified and I reached for the pole and everything fell and it, it stabbed him. Right through the chest. Then, he died."

Tears soaked through Derek's shirt as he cradled Stiles. He rocked back and forth with the boy in his arms, stroking his hair and muttering softly that it was okay. 

"You know what the worst part was? It wasn't the blood that stained my hands and it wasn't the fact that I had just killed somebody. It was the fact that Scott believed Theo over me. I tried to tell him and he believed Theo over me, his best friend." 

Stiles cried louder, all the pain and hurt hitting him like a truck. After everything they had been through, Stiles had never believed that Scott would ever be able to do that to him. To trust someone else more than his own brother.

Derek looked at Stiles. He looked so broken that it honestly didn't surprise the werewolf anymore. After all the terrors that Stiles had faced, Derek wished he had never left. He would have believed Stiles. He would have protected Stiles and kept him safe from this whole mess. 

"I'm sorry Stiles. I am so, so sorry that you had to go through that." 

"So am I." Stiles mumbled into Derek's shirt, burying himself further into the warmth of his body. It was comforting, it made Stiles feel like he really did have somebody who made him feel wanted and safe; safer than a whole pack of dangerous werewolves and kitsunes and banshees ever could. 

Stiles may not have been a supernatural creature himself, but he knew that without a doubt, Derek was his anchor too. 

______ 

The air turned cold around them and Stiles wished he had worn those gloves. He gripped the flowers in his hands tightly, they were a spectacular array of colour, ranging from orchids, to dahlias, to morning glories. 

He remembered looking at old wedding photos, apparently his mother couldn't decide which ones she would walk down the aisle with, so she chose one of each flower that the florists had to offer. 

Stiles took in a deep breath. He couldn't think back to when he had last been there. It was shameful, really, that he had allowed all of the supernatural drama get in between his visits to his mother. That's what Stiles thought anyway. 

Derek put a hand onto Stiles' shoulder, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance. Stiles looked to see Derek giving him a small smile, which he returned. 

"Hey Mom," His voice felt heavy and thick as he spoke. "It's good to see you again. I'm sorry I haven't been around in a while, lots of things have been happening." 

He thought for a moment, thinking carefully about what he wanted to tell her. "Uh, Dad's sticking to his diet, for a change, so that's something. I'm also planning on joining the FBI once high school is over and done with." 

Stiles had been through so much since that night in the woods, more than any teenager ought to go through. But he had. Despite all odds, he had survived. Nothing, Stiles thought, nothing could ever be more difficult than talking to his own mother. 

"Derek's back," He said suddenly, making the Hale surprised. "He patched me up a while ago when I got attacked."

Stiles looked from the headstone and faced Derek, showing a sad smile on his face. "Yeah, you would have definitely loved him." 

The jeep's rattling engine hadn't been started straight away. Stiles gripped the steering wheel, knuckles turning whiter and whiter. 

"For what it's worth, I think your mother would be insanely proud of you."

"Thank you Derek. Really, thank you."

In all of the time Derek had known Stiles, there were few times when he had looked as serious as he had in that jeep, in that precise moment in time. In his mind, Derek swore a secret oath. He would never let Stiles down. Not again. 

______ 

"Please don't leave me again." 

Derek looked up from the book in his hands - caught off guard by the sudden plea. They were in the loft, Derek on the sofa and Stiles sitting by the window, head against the cool glass as he watched the rain lightly tap against it. 

"Stiles..."

What could he say? What could Derek possibly say that would ease the teenager's mind and assure him that no matter what, Derek wouldn't leave again. At least, not without Stiles by his side. 

"Without you here, things go wrong. I go wrong. When you're not here, I don't feel safe anymore, I don't feel right. Damn it Derek, it's hard. Without you everything just falls apart and it's just hard to deal with and nothing makes sense and I-" 

The salt in the air drifted around, invading all of Derek's senses. He made his way over to Stiles, sitting in front of him on the ledge, he wiped away a tear that had dropped from the brunette's eye. Slowly, he took Stiles' hand into his own and laced them together. 

"Stiles, I promise you, right here and right now, that I am never going to leave you. Not ever again. Before I left, I never fully understood how I felt, how I still feel about, well, you. That day I saw you in the store, that's when everything started to click."

"Derek, what, what are you saying?" Stiles' brows furrowed together. With his soft expression of confusion, Derek couldn't help but melt under his gaze. He felt his heart skip beat after beat and before he knew it, he was leaning in closer to Stiles. 

"What I'm trying to say is that, I love you. I'm sorry I left you alone, you have no idea how much I regret it and I wish I had stayed, or maybe even have taken you with me. The point is, I'm here now, and I swear it to you that I am never leaving you behind ever again."

"You love me?" Stiles whispered in astonishment. Derek nodded, cheeks glowing a light shade of red. He smiled, looking at the beautiful doe-eyed boy in front of him. "Thank God." Stiles murmured before closing the gap between them. 

It wasn't quite like how Derek had imagined it would be. Of all the daydreams where the kiss is hot and fiery and passionate, this kiss is sweet and tender, Stiles, for once in his life, is taking his time. Taking things slowly and carefully as he takes his hands from Derek and runs them through Derek's hair. 

When they parted for air, Stiles rested his forehead against Derek's. 

"I love you too, Sourwolf."

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago and it's floating around on tumblr too, then I thought, why not put it on here too? So I did. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it.


End file.
